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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27998232">The Animal Within</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/immortalje/pseuds/immortalje'>immortalje</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Prompt Challenges [13]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>House M.D.</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2007-02-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2007-02-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 19:02:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>469</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27998232</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/immortalje/pseuds/immortalje</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>He was like a scared animal when things got personal.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>pre Robert Chase/Greg House</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Prompt Challenges [13]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2047814</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Animal Within</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For my <a href="https://100-situations.livejournal.com/">100_situations</a> challenge.<br/>Prompt: 045. Animal (<a href="http://immortalje.livejournal.com/35288.html">Table</a>)</p><p>Beta: AlexT/Dom<br/></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>House knew he had to be careful with approaching Chase. The blonde Australian was like a scared animal when things got personal. When someone came too close to him his fight or flight instinct told him to run, clearly an after effect of his childhood.</p><p>House was just glad that he knew how to deal with scared animals. Move slowly and be patient were the main guidelines. He could do that. The most important part was to make Chase get used to him and his behaviour. So far he had grown pretty tolerant, had grown to expect his erratic behaviour and accept it.</p><p>Now the second phase would start, getting more personal, not only with his inquiries into Chase’s personal life, but also with confronting Chase with bits and pieces out of House’s life. He’d have to capture the interest of the animal in Chase and once he had that he could take the step to capture Chase. That was the moment that was the most critical, the moment where he had to make sure that Chase knew he wouldn’t leave him, wouldn’t sent him away, wouldn’t hurt him.</p><p>If Chase believed him, everything would be alright, if he didn’t… his one and only chance would be gone.</p><p>House knew that something was off when Chase kept staring at him over and over again. Sometimes it was just small glances but Chase was worried about something. Somehow, House knew that it wasn’t him though. He felt as if Chase was considering getting his help, something that made House feel confident.</p><p>Only, he didn’t know if he’d scare the animal in Chase away if he asked him or if that’d make Chase more likely to trust him.</p><p>His musings were interrupted when Chase entered his office. He looked unsure about what he was doing. He looked at Chase expectantly and waited for him to talk.</p><p>“I… I think I’m being stalked,” admitted Chase finally.</p><p>Now House was worried, someone was trying to move in on his territory, “By whom?”</p><p>“I… He was a one-night-stand, but somehow he thinks we’re dating, which we’re not and…,” explained Chase.</p><p>House continued Chase’s thought, “And now you’re scared to go home.”</p><p>The way that Chase let his head sink down in embarrassment told him that this might be a good time to inch closer and win the trust of Chase’s inner animal. Not to mention that House thought it endearing to know that Chase had overcome his embarrassment enough to actually ask him for help.</p><p>With a hopefully neutral smile, House offered, “You can stay at my place.”</p><p>The hope he saw in Chase’s eyes told him that the animal in Chase would follow him everywhere. Now he just had to convince the human part that following him would indeed be a good idea.</p>
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